title: Alpha band oscillations correlate with illusory self-location induced by virtual reality.
abstract: Neuroscience of the self has focused on high-level mechanisms related to language, memory or imagery of the self. However, recent evidence suggests that low-level mechanisms such as multisensory and sensorimotor integration may play a fundamental role in self-related processing. Here we used virtual reality technology and visuo-tactile conflict to study such low-level mechanisms and manipulate where participants experienced their self to be localized (self-location). Frequency analysis and electrical neuroimaging of co-recorded high-resolution electroencephalography revealed body-specific alpha band power modulations in bilateral sensorimotor cortices. Furthermore, alpha power in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was correlated with the degree of experimentally manipulated self-location. We argue that these alpha oscillations in sensorimotor cortex and mPFC reflect self-location as manipulated through multisensory conflict.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. bigna.lenggenhager@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bigna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lenggenhager
authors.forename: Pär
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Halje
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blanke
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult